1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to tent structures and, more particularly, to a Conestoga-style collapsible tent assembly for mounting on the roof of an automotive vehicle or other surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The numerous problems associated with conventional ground level camping, such as overcrowded campgrounds and space shortages, damp, rocky, and/or pest-infested soil and the like, have led to many attempts to develop compact, collapsible tents for mounting on elevated surfaces such as car tops. Representative examples of such tents are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,531,678 to Gledhill; U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,150 to Schaftener et al; U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,836 to Domeneghetti; U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,133 to Barr et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,479 to Rizzotto, Sr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,793 to Cattaneo.
Public acceptance of these earlier car top tents has not been widespread, however, possibly due to factors such as high cost, weight, bulkiness, inconvenience of assembly, slow set-up time, unsteady support structures, and unattractive appearance.
Accordingly, a need is felt for a new and improved car top tent assembly which overcomes some of the problems of the prior art.